Amon Düül II
Live in London

THE REVIEW

Germany Year Zero: in the psychedelic '60s, the new generations of young Germans follow the libertarian impulses of the era's "Zeitgeist". This new ferment will lead to the birth and awareness of new consciences, which will result in contrasting developments: on one hand, a new unbridled creativity—often marked by the use of drugs—which will lead to the birth of a highly original music scene using its cultural roots to create new music influenced by psychedelia and the avant-garde. But some will choose the path of armed rebellion that will later culminate in the Baader-Meinhof gang. All of this can be well understood by reading the book by Bernward Vesper, "The Trip"—partner of Gudrun Ennsling, one of the most important members of the Baader-Meinhof gang—in which the German writer, son of a former Nazi writer, paints a fragmented and hallucinated picture—he was a heavy drug user and would end up dying by suicide—that gives a good idea of the cultural climate of the period: in his wandering through Germany, Vesper also encounters the Amon Duul commune. From this commune will originate two groups: the crazy and anarchic Amon Duul and the great Amon Duul II. The latter will release some masterpieces like Phallus Dei, Yeti and Journey Into A Dream (Viaggio in un sogno), and will manage to achieve a decent international consensus that will lead them to sign with United Artists: it is the period during which German rock finds good reception: Phaedra by Tangerine Dream reaches ninth place in the UK charts and Can and Faust enjoy cult status. It's not so surprising that Amon Duul II would record a live album right in England.

"Live In London" comes from the 1973 tour and features Amon Duul II in a much more direct and rock vein compared to the studio albums: the guitars of Chris Karrer and John Weinzierl duel tightly with incisive riffs while Renate Knaup's voice stands out. Perhaps more could have been expected from a "live" performance by Amon Duul II: it almost seems as if they have decided to condense their psychedelic suites into more concise and no-frills pieces. Only in "Improvisation" does a typically German and crazy experimental vein emerge: the electronic beginning recalls the early Tangerine Dream, then Knaup's infernal vocalizations take over: but it's all too brief. The material mostly comes from "Yeti" and "Tanz Der Lemminge", with the folkish "Syntelman's March Of The Roaring Seventies" also being revisited. The interplay among the musicians is, in any case, perfect. "Live IN London", with a fantastic cover featuring a giant insect destroying London, remains a concert document of a great band.